Here’s a rundown of some Galician wine news from the month of September, translated from the original Spanish (or Galician) for your convenience.
Galicia’s First Wine on La Place de Bordeaux: (9/19)
Two years after Telmo Rodriguez’ Yjar became the first Spanish wine to be sold on La Place, Galicia makes its mark on the international market with a red wine from Ribeira Sacra: Dolio, from Adega Algueira. Made with the help of Telmo Rodríguez and his partner at Compañía de Vinos, Pablo Eguzkiza, it’s a blend of 66% Mencía, 20% Brancellao, 6% Souson, 4% Caíño and 4% Tintorera (Alicante Bouschet).
More on this story from La Voz de Galicia: (9/19)
“6,000 bottles of Dolio went up for auction, all of which were purchased in just a few minutes by eight French dealers. Most of the lot went to Pierre-Antoine Castéja, owner of Maison Joanne, a house specialized in the international sale of grands crus which moves about four million bottles a year. From now on, négociants will set prices according to the purchasing power of the markets where they believe that this Algueira wine—from the 2019 vintage—may have greater demand.”
From 42.3 Hectares to 293 in 23 Years: Rías Baixas’ Growth on the Banks of the Ulla (9/28)
From El Correo Gallego: “The subzone began its journey in this Designation of Origin with 93,606 kilos of grapes collected in the 2000 harvest … The latest data point to 1,906,649 kilos of grapes harvested in 2022 … Since its integration into [Rías Baixas], the Ribeira do Ulla subzone has not stopped growing. Every year there are more hectares and, although at a slower rate, their increase is accompanied by new business projects linked to this economic activity … Yesterday [9/27] the Rías Baixas Designation of Origin declined an invitation to look over a petition by residents of the Ulla Valley against the massive plantation of Albariño vineyards.”
Residents of Val do Ulla Criticize Massive Planting of Vineyards (9/23)
From La Voz de Galicia: “A group of residents of the Val do Río Ulla, between Donas and the Santa Cruz parish of Brandariz, begin a collection of signatures in the area against the massive planting of vineyards in this area for the industrial production of Albariño wine. They defend ‘a living rural area’ over ‘intensive monocultures.’ … they denounce ‘an alarming transformation of our territory in which large areas of our forest, an agricultural mosaic and two plots of land that surround our houses are being converted into intensive vineyard operations.’ They feel, they say, ‘defenseless in the face of these interventions’ carried out by external investors who, they explain, seek an economic return on these lands … [they point out] that livestock farms are already having problems with the availability of pastures and land to grow grains that are not affected by the application of pesticides to neighboring vineyards. They denounce the loss of biodiversity that the transformation to monoculture entails.”
How Mencía Became Spain’s Breakout Star (9/20)
I wrote an article on Mencía for SevenFifty Daily. Check it out! “Long in the shadow of better-known Spanish grapes, Mencía is finally gaining broader recognition thanks to investments in old vines and high-quality, terroir-driven winemaking.”
Over 19 Tons of Grapes from Valladolid Seized in Valdeorras Warehouse (9/15)
From La Voz de Galicia: “A tip warned that there was a warehouse in O Barco de Valdeorras that got nighttime deliveries by trucks loaded with grapes. Large quantities of grapes. Thus began an investigation that ended with the seizure of 19,600 kilos of foreign grapes, ‘presumably intended for introduction into wineries of the Denomination of Orixe Valdeorras,’ the Guardia Civil explains … After taking statements from several people, they entered the warehouse, locating more than 19 tons of grapes, which have been seized. According to the information collected on a delivery note, it came from Medina del Campo in Valladolid.”
On the Verge of Crisis in Ribeira Sacra? (9/14)
From La Voz de Galicia: “Many growers received notifications from their regular customers asking them to look for another buyer for this year’s harvest. The surpluses are behind the first crisis that Ribeira Sacra has faced in a long time, although at the moment only Uniones Agrarias, through its spokesperson, Carlos Basalo, openly referred to this problem … Sources close to the Regulatory Council confirm that there are open negotiations with [Galicia’s] Department of Rural Affairs to address the problem of surpluses … If [grapes are left] in the vineyards, there will be a risk of abandoning [viticulture] in the areas where it is more expensive due to [steep slopes].”
Winemakers are also raising the idea of officially differentiating—via back label or otherwise—the “viticultura heroica” on which Ribeira Sacra bases its image from vines planted on less steep slopes outside the Sil and Miño canyon walls.